Swastika: A symbol of hope and Evil.
The word Swastika comes from Sanskrit work svastika which means “Good fortune” and “well-being”. It is best described as a cross in which arms have been bent at right angle thereby also terming it as a “hooked cross”. In English world it has been familiar since the early 19th century which it supplanted the Greek work “Gamadion” for the name of this type of cross. Gamadion is derived from the Greek uppercase letter Gamma “Γ”, when four of these are combined emanating from a central point this well known shape is created. A general consensus over the breakdown of this word is that “SV” “SU” “SW” is an affirmation of good luck or wellbeing whilst “Asti” means “to be” and ka is an causative word which convert the whole word into a noun. Thus ‘Swastika’ is “something that causes goodness or good luck to be”
One compelling theory of the origin of this symbol can also be found in great astronomer Carl Sagan’s book Comet. Sagan point to an ancient Chinese manuscript dating around twenty-two hundred years ago. The Chinese manuscripts depicts sightings of the Comet and in one drawing, the tail is in shape of clearly visible what we call Swastika. Sagan’s theory was
“Rapid rotation formed curved steamers, as you can easily see in patterns formed by a rotatory garden sprinkler [which give]… the usual representation of a Swastika”
Design:
Swastika may be seen with upper arms bent to the right (卐) or to the left (卍). The right bend of the arms is considered as a clock wise direction while the left bend in the arms is considered as an anti-clockwise direction. Sometimes a similar term ‘Sauvastika’ is used to the left bend symbol form the right bent. In different cultures, the right and left bend also vary quite differently in their interpretation. The Buddhists religion use the left pointing symbol which Hinduism and Jainism mostly use the right bent symbol of Swastika. The interpretation of the symbol also with religions. In the Jain religion in India, Swastika in its central white horizontal band which represent the four states of existence. In Hinduism, a right hand swastika is one of the 108 symbols of God Vishnu among other this and is found in holy places like temples.
Nazi style Swastika:
So how did an Indian religious symbol become a national symbol for Nazi Germany?
The Swastika symbol experienced resurgence during the 19th century as a result of growing European interest in ancient civilization of India. In 1875, Heinrich Scheilmann, a German archeologist wrote about the discoveries he made in the ancient site of troy. The artifacts Heinrich found adorned with symbols like swastika. He connected the symbol to the historic roots of Germany. He connected the symbol with similar shaped found on German pottery and speculated that is was “Significant religious symbol of our remote ancestors”. A theory emerged at the time “a light skinned Indo-Iranian race and culture existed in the past not only within troy but to the remote north and west of Europe”. The race was term as Aryan and the symbol of Swastika helped in building a theory that the race has come to Europe bringing with them the culture and tradition and of course the characteristics of Aryans. The theory was interpreted by the German counterparts within a profound notion of nationalism. Germany became absorbed in the idea of racial superiority and believed that fair skinned Nordic and Germans were the rightful descendants of Aryans and therefor an antithesis was established that non-Aryans, Asian and most pointedly the Semites are inferior to German race. Thus Swastika-seen purely as a Aryan symbol-became a significant emblem.
During 1920s the hooked cross was known as Hakenkreuz and nationalist writers using pseudoscience suggested that this symbol was purely Aryan. This symbol was linked with the shared Aryan culture that spanned through Asia and Europe. Adolf Hitler was obsessed with the idea of racial purity and the notion of believing that German people were descendants of Aryan race who have migrated from Indus valley region. In his book, Mein Kampf, Hitler recalled that the in 1920, the year Nazi adopted Swastika, he was aware that the party required a “symbol of its own struggle” and that is needed to be “As effected as a large poster”.
Utterly Hitler rejected the red, black and white flag of the Weimar republic. His party members submitted various designs for the flag which include sign of Swastika. Hitler himself selected one of the designs. In Mein Kampf, he wrote:
“I myself, meanwhile, after innumerable attempts, had laid down a final form; a flag with a red background, a white disk, and a black swastika in the middle. After long trials I also found a definite proportion between the size of the flag and the size of the white disk, as well as the shape and thickness of the swastika.”
Hitler also spelled out the meaning of his design
“The red expressed the social though underlying the movement. White the nation thought. And the swastika signified the mission allotted to us – the struggle for the victory of Aryan mankind”
Tim Marshal in his book Worth dying for:
The Power and Politics of flag says that “Many members were caught up in ideas
of mysticism and the power of symbols”. The symbol had an enigmatic pull that
drove tens of millions of people towards the agenda of party.
When the Nazi party took power in 1933, Adolf Hitler issued a decree that two Flag would now fly off in Germany. The first one which will be a black, red and white tricolor and the second one of composing of swastika symbol composed within white circle. After two years Hitler ruled that the sole flag of the country would be Swastika. This decree was passed by Nuremberg Flag laws of September 1935.
Controversy after the fall of Germany:
Right after the fall of Germany in World war 2, the swastika flag was banned. Allied government ruling Germany outlawed the Nazi party and the propaganda were further criminalized. Several countries banned the flag and signified it as evil. In Germany and other European countries, it is prohibited by law to display Nazi symbols. However, In United State it legal to display Nazi symbols due countries laws protecting freedom of free speech. Moreover, during 1950s some motorcyclist gangs in U.S wore Nazi insignia to highlight their fight against legal system. In countries with little association with Nazi ideology and history, the symbol is associated in a positive manner. In Buddhist, Hinduism and Jainism dominant regions such as India, Myanmar the symbol still remains intact without any negative connotations. The symbol has different meaning over different geographic grounds.
The Final Solution 